SENATOR Manny Pacquiao faces his strongest challenge yet on a different platform—virtual chess.
Pacquiao, who announced his retirement from boxing on Wednesday, will play a 10-year-old app version of chess king Magnus Carlsen via an electronic online chessboard.
The game starts at 12:45 a.m. on Saturday (October 2).
The 12-time boxing world champion’s match will be available in real time on https://championschesstour.com and https://www.twitch.tv/allplaychess.
Pacquiao is one of the latest and biggest names lined up to take on the world chess champion’s younger self. The unique spectacle will be showcased during the finals of the $1.6-million Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, the most prestigious event in the online chess calendar including Carlsen and Filipino-American genius Wesley So.
Pacquiao, a huge chess fan, will be hoping to land the knockout blows in a blitz, 2-minute limit, play-to-finish format. But so far, no celebrity taking the challenge has beaten Carlsen, the highest-rated chess player in history, on his Play Magnus app.
The longest anyone has survived was 49 moves.
The stakes are high for Pacquiao who is hoping to raise awareness for the “Stop Asian Hate” campaign. He will get $5,000 to donate to his chosen charity just for taking part. If he wins the challenge by lasting the longest, he will secure an extra $50,000.
“I can’t wait to see how the legendary Manny Pacquiao does against a 10-year-old me on the Play Magnus app,” Carlsen said. “I wasn’t a world champion back then, but I was already playing decently so it’s going to be hard.”
“I am very much excited to play Magnus Carlsen. This is something that doesn’t happen every day and I will be placed in a different arena this time around,” Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao will be raising funds for the Manny Pacquiao Foundation, the charity built on the his commitment to give back and fighting for those less fortunate. The foundation uses the hashtags #pacquiaofoundation #pacquiao #jointhefight #bethechange and #teampacquiao on social media.